Adjustable pivoted jaw wrench for removing threaded closures



June 25, 1957 J. RosENTHAl. 2796782.

ADJUSTBLE PIVOTED JAW WRENCH F OR REMOVING THREADED CLOSURE'S Filed Jan. 19, 1955 Tizi. Il...

f' "IMU nl IN VEN TOR. 40K OSENTHAL United States Patent ADJUSTABLE PIVOTED JAW WRENCH FOR REMOVING THREADED CLOSURES The present invention relates to a tool for removing closure tops from containers and particularly for removing threaded tops from bottles. Although especially adapted for the use mentioned the tool may be utilized in rotating any threaded article relative to a mating threaded part.

The tool of the present invention is arranged to be utilized to remove or replace the threaded cap of a large range of sizes from containers such as bottles, jars, etc., and to be readily adjusted to tit any cap within this wide range.

Additionally the tool is provided with means for locking it in its adjusted position to prevent lit from opening and slipping on the bottle cap; and is provided with a simple lever means for exerting pressure against the rim of the bottle cap to prevent slippage when the tool is in use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a gripping member to aid in rotating one of two threaded parts relative to another.

It is another object of the invention to provide a tool for removing or replacing a cap n a threaded container, as for example a threaded cap on a bottle or jar provided with a mating thread.

It is another object to provide such a tool which is readily adjusted to lit any of a wide range of sizes of closure members or caps and which is locked against spreading movement of its parts once it is adjusted.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a tool ofthe type mentioned having means for exerting pressure against opposite ends of a diameter of the cap to prevent slippage of the tool when the cap is attempted to be rotated.

It is another object of the invention to provide a tool as described which may also be utilized in removing crown caps from bottles or cans and for removing pressure lids from bottles and jars and which is easily operated and inexpensively manufactured.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear when the following description is considered in connection with the annexed drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the tool of the invention shown in position on a jar top. In this view part of the housing is broken away to show the means for locking the device in an adjusted position;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the tool of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the tool or" Figures 1 and 2 as applied to a jar, the housing being broken away to show the interior construction. The section is taken so as to show the jar and its cap in cross-section on the plane of the line 3 3 of Figure 2, the tool being shown in bottom elevation; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical crosssectional view of the tool taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown at a rectangular tubular member which forms the tool v A2,796,782 Patented June 25, 1.95.7

handle. This member is conveniently formed of a sheet of material bent to form three sides 11, 12 and 13 of the tube and a strip 14 ixed between sides 11 and 13 and closing the tube.

The handle 10 is enlarged at its left hand edgeas seen clearly in Figures l and 3 by widening the left end of walls 11 and 13 respectively of the tube 10 as indicated at 15 (Fig. 3) and by correspondingly thickening the strip 14 as indicated at 16.

The construction above described provides a rectangular longitudinally extending opening in the handle. Mounted in this channel for movement therealong is a slide 17, which is provided at its outer (lefthand as seen in the drawings) end with downwardly extending lugs'lSV and 2l) adapted to bear against the periphery 21 of a jar cap such as indicated at 22, the cap being in place on a jar 23. The lugs 18 and 20 may be formed in any suitable manneiibeing, in the present instance, bent from the slide 17 and formed in U-shape in order to give added strength. The inwardly facing edges of the outer arms of the U-shaped lugs are serrated in .order to increase the frictional engagement with the jar or bottle cap.

The thickened portion 16 of strip 14 is provided with a wedge-shaped notch 24 in the inner edge thereof. Confined in this notch, by the side walls 11 and 13 and the slide 17, is a roller 25 which is urged to the left (Figure l) by means of a plunger 26 and spring 27. The plunger 26 has a shank which isslidably mounted in a bore 28 in the strip 14. Spring 27 bears against the plunger head at one end and against the wall of notch 24 at the opposite end. Plunger 26 has a Vshaped notch in the edge facing the roller 25, the upper arm of the V being longer than the lower and the center of the V being above the center of the plunger. `This arrangement the manner hereinafter described and additionally makes n assembly of the device easier.

Due to the constant urge of spring 27 the roller 25 is urged to the left and thus wedges between the Wall 24 and the edge of the slide 17 to prevent outward or left hand movement of the slide 17.

In order to permit such outward movement a second plunger 30 provided with a shank 31 is mounted in the left wall of the notch 24. The shank 31 extends through the wall of the thickened portion 16 of strip 14 and is fixed to a trigger member 32, this member having a horizontal arm which lies in the recessed outer surface of the thickened portion 16. The plunger 3i) is generally conical in shape having its point above the center line of the roller 25 and therefore, as it moves toward the right under urge of manual pressure on the trigger 32, the roller is caused to move toward the right and downwardly, releasing the slide 17 for outward move-` ment. Obviously, such a manual pressure on the trigger- 32 is resisted by the spring 27.

Pivotally mounted on and spaced from the lower side- 13 of the handle 10 near the left hand end thereof is a bellcrank lever 33, the shorter arm of which terminates iny an upwardly extending portion which is serrated on theside facing the lugs 18 and 12. Lever 33 is pivoted onscrew 36 and the long arm 37 thereof has a bent off lugs 38 which extends vertically upward and lies adjacent to -v ample, area. Add itionally,l plate 43 has formed thereon the`hook 44 and the blade 45. Hook 44 serves in the usual manner as an opening device for crown capped containers while blade 45 serves as an opening device for press-fitted lids.

Screws 42 extend into a groove 46 formed in the lower side of slide 17 and the right hand one of these screws cooperates with a screw 47 in the base of groove 46 to limit movement of slide 17 toward the left. Screw 47 is inserted through a hole 48 in the side 13 of handle 10 and may thus be readily inserted after the tool has been assembled. In addition to the functions already mentioned, screws 42 serve as anchor points for a wire spring 50 which is bent around the right hand one of the two screws 42, thence around the left hand one of those screws and enters into an aperture in lever arm 37. The spring thus urges the lever 33 in a counterclockwise direction as seen in Figure 3 to cause the lug 35 to lie against the left hand wall of handle 1I).

In operation slide 17 is released by pressing upon trigger 32 and the slide is then moved to a position suciently open so that a jar cap such as 22 may lie between lugs 35. The slide 17 is then pushed inwardly until lugs 18-20 and lug 35 bear against the rim of the cap. Pressure is now exerted upon the thumb piece 38 to increase the pressure against the jar rim. Since both lugs 18-20 and 35 have their facing edges serrated as described above, they will grip the jar cap tightly and subseqeunt counterclockwise rotation of handle (as indicated by the arrow in Figure 1) will cause the cap to be rotated in the proper direction to loosen it and make it readily removed from the threaded top of the jar 22.

The Wedging action of roller 25 prevents relative movement of handle 10 and slide 17 despite the pressure exerted by lever 33 on the jar cap and thus provides an excellent gripping action. Handle 10 is relatively long and provides ample leverage to unscrew the most tightly engaged threads of jar and cap.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent` to those skilled in the art that the details comprising the invention herein disclosed are capable of some modification and I do not therefore desire to be limited to the illustrated embodiments but only by the claims granted to me.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for removing threaded closures, in combination, a tubular handle member, a slide mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in said handle member and having an end extending beyond said handle member, said handle member having a recess adjacent said slide, said recess having a side wall extending at an angle to said slide, a roller in said recess, means urging said roller against said recess side wall and against said slide to prevent longitudinal movement of said slide in one direction, said means comprising a plunger mounted for sliding movement parallel to the direction of movement of said slide, said plunger bearing against said roller, a spring pressing against said plunger, manual means to overcome said urging means thereby permitting movement of said slide in said one direction, said slide having a threadedclosure-engaging member extending at right angles thereto at one end thereof, said handle having a cooperating threaded-closure-engaging member extending at right angles thereto and parallel to said first mentioned closureengaging member, for engaging a closure at substantially opposite ends of a diameter `thereof, said closure-engaging member on said handle being formed as a lever pivotally mounted on said handle, said lever terminating in a thumb piece at its end opposite its closure-engaging end, whereby pressure on said thumb piece may rotate said lever about its pivot to press its closure-engaging end against the end ofsaid closure diameter opposite to said slide closure-engaging member.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein said plunger is mounted in said handle, and further including a nger piece attached thereto and lying on the exterior of said handle to permit release of said slide upon depressing said finger piece.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 168,291I Selden Sept` 28, 1875 375,712 Murray Dec. 27, 1887 389,666 Reagan Sept. 18, 1888 767,283 Keller Aug. 9, 1904 1,004,903 Rebagliati Oct. 3, 1911 2,002,906 Mullan May 28, 1.935 

